The Strokes’ guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. will release his latest album ‘AHJ’ on October 8th via Julian Casablancas’ Cult Records. The EP follows Hammond’s previous solo efforts, 2006’s ‘Yours to Keep’, and 2008’s ‘¿Cómo Te Llama?’. Of the new EP’s relationship with his earlier releases, Hammond said, “It’s a combination of both previous recordings, which in turn makes it feel like it’s the best material that I’ve made so far.”

‘AHJ’ was produced, engineered and mixed by Grammy-winning producer Gus Oberg and recorded at Hammond’s two studios, Broome Street in Manhattan and One Way Studios in upstate New York. Of working with Oberg, Hammond stated, “I’ve been working with him since my first solo project, after we met and became best friends. We get along and we understand each other musically, so everything just flows.” Hammond played all of the instruments on the EP himself, excluding drums on several tracks, which were played by longtime collaborator Matthew Frank Romano.

Commenting on his inspirations for ‘AHJ’, Hammond said, “Once you play music for a living, you’re always thinking about stuff. Conversations with friends and things you hear in movies – things come up and become lyrics. Hearing other people’s songs becomes like competition – you hear something and mentally you want to beat it. Life in general is pretty inspiring.”

‘Yours to Keep’ puts Albert Hammond Jr. in the spotlight as a frontman, whereas in The Strokes, he’s the guitarist. The change brought on some fear in the beginning. “Usually I’ve sang by myself in my room, then I was upfront,” he told Star magazine. “Throughout the record I built up more confidence. I got more used to it.”

The Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. spoke with The Sun’s ‘Something For The Week’ about his debut solo album ‘Yours To Keep on Monday’. “I’m nervous about getting out there on my own. I don’t know how I’ll be able to play on my own the thought of it brings me out in a sweat,” he admitted. “I even feel shy about letting people hear my stuff.” Read more.

Albert Hammond Jr. from the Strokes is out with his new solo album ‘Yours To Keep’, out Monday (October 9) in the UK, followed by rest of Europe and Japan shortly thereafter. Plans for a release in the U.S. and the rest of the world are not as yet finalized.

The Glasgow Daily Record reports The Strokes star Albert Hammond Jr. converted to Judaism so bandmate Nick Valensi wouldn’t be the only Jew in the band, and soon found his new religion had advantages. He revealed: ”I told a guy I was Jewish in LA. I discovered this whole secret world. He even got me laid that night.”